Band-removing can opener



\N. J. CHADES BAND-REMOVING CAN OPENER Oct. 23, 1956 Filed Feb. 8, 1954 1 Zhwentor W/LL/AM J (H4055 attorney BAND-REMOVING CAN OPENER William J. Chades, Redondo Beach, Calif.

Application February 8, 1954, Serial No. 408,643

Claims. (Cl. 220-52) This invention relates to can openers of the type that strip a sealing band from the can to separate the cover from the body of the can.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel can opener of the type indicated that enables a safe and effective operation thereof to extract the rolled up band from a key on which wound, thereby, obviating the possibility of injury to the hands of the user.

Another object of the invention is to provide an implement as indicated, that may be operated by one hand to effect the mentioned extraction or ejection of the rolled up sealing band.

A further object of the invention is to provide a can opener, of the type indicated, with means housing the rolled up sealing band and with means operable by one hand to strip said band from a key on which wound so that the band may freely fall from the housing without the need for manual handling thereof.

The invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description. However, the drawing merely shows and the following description merely describes, one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawing, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

Fig. l is a top plan view, partly in longitudinal section, of a can opener embodying features of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view, partly in longitudinal section, of said opener.

Figs. 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views as taken on the respective lines 33 and 4-4 of Fig. 2.

The can opener that is illustrated comprises, generally, a tubular housing 5, a cage 6 fixed onto one end of said housing, a shaft 7 extending longitudinally through the housing and terminating in a tapered and bifurcated end 8 that extends across cage 6, a key handle 9 on the opposite end of said shaft and slidingly and non-rotationally connected to said shaft, a spring 10 within said housing and around the shaft to hold the latter projected with the end 8 extending across cage 6, and a pull member 11 carried by the shaft and rotationally free thereon for retracting said shaft and the tapered end 8 thereon.

The tubular housing 5 comprises an elongated tube 12 that, at one end, is formed to have oppositely disposed and open-end longitudinal slots 13. The opposite end of said tube 12 is provided with a series of transverse grooves or notches 14 that are formed in the lower portion of said tube with respect to the slots 13 when the latter are laterally disposed. As shown, slots 13 extend Patented Oct. 23, 1956 ice 4 2, for somewhat more than half the length of tube 12 and define intermediate shoulders 15.

The cage 6 comprises longitudinally spaced transverse walls 16 and 17 that are connected by peripheral spacers 18. A bearing hub 19 on wall 16 is tightly fitted into the end of tube 12 that is provided with the notches 14, said hub having a hole20 concentric with the axis of tube 12. .The cage walls 16 and 17 are each provided with a generally circular circumference 21, as shown,

that is coaxial with tube 12 and with a concavely curved lower edge 22 that substantially conforms to the curvature of a cylindrical can or container 23 from which the sealing band 24 is to be stripped by the present opener. In any case, the transverse extent of edge 22 is such that the same provides spaced bearing points 25 that engage the cylindrical face of can 23 to resist rotation of the cage 6 and tube 12, while the cage is slid around said can. The space between walls 16 and 17 is such as to freely accommodate the width of sealing band 24.

The shaft 7, between bearing hub 19 and a point about midway of the longitudinal extent of slots 13, is round. The remainder of said shaft, as shown at 26, is square or may have any other suitable polygonal cross-section.

. 9 which may be of any suitable shape and is here shown as a ring 29 of rectangular form and provided with a square hole 30 into which the square end of the shaft is slid ingly fitted. Said shaft end is peened over, as at 31, to hold key handle 9 captive to the shaft. A bearing 32, in the adjacent end of tube 12, axially locates said square end 26 of shaft 7, said bearing being tightly fitted in tube 12 and constituting an abutment for one end of spring 10 which is shown as an expansion coil spring.

The pull member 11 comprises a transversely disposed and preferably forwardly lcurved bar 33 that is rotationally fitted on the round portion of shaft 7 and is held between flanking washers 34 by upset or swaged portions 35 of said shaft against axial movement along the shaft. Said bar extends through slots 13 and, therefore, is held relatively non-rotational during rotational movement of shaft 7. The laterally extending ends of bar 33 constitute finger-engaging portions of a hand, the palm of which is engaged over key handle 9.

Since spring 10 is confined between bearing 32 and the washer 34 on the side of bar 33 directed toward the key handle, said spring biases shaft 7 forwardly and maintains the tapered and bifurcated end 8 in the position shown across cage 6.

When band 24 is to be stripped from can 23, the tab end of said band is inserted into slot 27 with the edge 22 against the can, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and the adjacent bead 36 of said can located in one of the notches 14 so as to bring the band between cage walls 16 and 17, as shown in the former figure. Now, while one hand holds the cage against the can so that the cage may slide or track around the can and bead 36, the other hand is used to turn key handle 9 which imparts rotation to shaft 7 and causes the band 24 to wind up on shaft end 8, as indicated in Fig. 3. It will be noted that the resultant convolutions of the band reside within cage 6 which, therefore, protects the user from the sharp edges of the stripped band.

When the band has been completely severed or removed from the can, the implement is removed from contact with the can. Now, with two fingers hooked over the ends of bar 33 while the palm of the hand is engaged over key handle 9, a retractive pull on said bar 33 will cause longitudinal retraction of shaft end 8 into tube 12. At first, the wound up band will move into engagement with wall 16 which arrests its movement. Then, as retraction of end 8 continues, the band will be released to fall from cage 6.

Since end 8 is pered, release of the band is rendered easier as the same is displaced toward the point of end 8. Thus, the severed band need not be handled when removed first from the can and then from the present implement. Release of bar 33 enables spring 10 to expand and restore the parts to their initial position ready to operate again.

From the device illustrated, it will be seen that cage walls 16 and 17 so confine the band 24 as the convolutions therof build up, that said band is prevented from spiraling off laterally. Also, the outer wall of the ring 29 that forms the key handle serves to limit the retractive movement of shaft 7 when the end 8 thereof is being withdrawn to release the removed sealing band wound up thereon.

While I have illustrated and described what I now contemplate to be the best mode of carrying out my invention, the construction is, of course, subject to modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is, therefore, not desired to restrict the invention to the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim and desire to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A can opener, for opening a cylindrical can having a scaling band, comprising a cage having a pair of opposed walls, said walls having concave surfaces on one side to guide the cake around a can body, an elongated tubular housing secured to one of said walls and extending outwardly perpendicular thereto, a shaft longitudinally disposed within said housing and having an end extending into said cage, said end being bifurcated and adapted to engage said sealing band, a handle at the other end of said shaft for rotating the same, a transverse member rotatably mounted on said shaft in-between the ends thereof for moving the same longitudinally, and a com pression spring located in-between the handle and the transverse member for urging the end of the shaft into the cage.

2. A can opener according to claim 1: in which the housing is secured to the one wall adjacent the concave surface thereof, and is adapted to contact the head of the can when the cage is guided around the can body.

3. A can opener, for opening a cylindrical can having a sealing band, comprising a cage having a pair of opposed walls, said walls having concave surfaces on one side for engaging the can body and guiding the cage around the can, an elongated tubular housing secured to one of said walls and extending outwardly therefrom and perpendicular thereto, said housing having at least one longitudinal slot therein, a shaft longitudinally disposed within said housing and having a conically shaped end extending into said cake, said end being bifurcated and adapted to engage said sealing band and remove the same from the can as the cage is moved around the can body, a handle at the other end of said shaft for rotating the same, a transverse member rotatably mounted on said shaft in-between the ends thereof, said member having a finger bar extending through the mentioned slot, whereby said shaft may be moved longitudinally, and a compression spring located in-between the handle and the transverse member for urging the end of the shaft into the cage.

4. A can opener according to claim 3: with a bearing located in the end of said housing remote from the cage, said bearing serving as a support for said spring.

5. A can opener according to claim 3: in which said housing is provided with a plurality of notches for engaging the head of said can and, thereby, hold said cage against endwise movement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS lll 

